Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC), also known as shear cutters, are important cutting components on a PDC bit for petroleum drilling. FIG. 1 illustrates how the cutter interacts with the rock formation during drilling. The shear cutters are designed and fabricated with a polycrystalline diamond overlay on cemented tungsten carbide substrates. The cemented tungsten carbide substrates provide a rigid support to the diamond layer. The diamond layer is in direct contact with the rock formation during drilling. The extremely high wear resistance of diamond leads to the excellent durability of the cutters, and the bit, that would not be possible with other materials. However, continued improvement in drilling technology and ever increasing demand for higher productivity has generated a strong need for further improvement in cutter technology. The shear cutters are subjected to higher stress, harder rock, and more impact load conditions. As a result, typical failure modes of shear cutters are by edge chipping and eventual catastrophic breakage. The industry faces the challenge of how to improve bit life and durability to be able to drill deeper and harder formations. It is highly desired to improve impact resistance of the polycrystalline diamond compact shear cutter without compromising its abrasive wear resistance.